Perfectly Mistaken Hearts
by breeography
Summary: Harry Potter, one-shot. 1 1/2 Years After The Fall of Voldemort in DH. Ginny wonders what’s to become of her feelings for the only person she’s ever loved.


**Title**: Perfectly Mistaken Hearts

**Ship:** Harry/Ginny  
**Author:**breeography Aubree, Shelby  
**Rating**: T  
**Warnings:**: None  
**Summary**: 1 1/2 Years After The Fall of Voldemort in DH. Ginny wonders what's to become of her feelings for the only person she's ever loved.

**Beta:** Lia

_1 1/2 Years After The Fall of Voldemort_

A faint whisper echoed through the trees around the house known as the Burrow. It's cozy nature, from the way it was nestled in the hills, created a calm, warm, sweet--

"MUM! DAD'S WORKING ON THE TOASTER AGAIN!"

--place to live.

One ginger-haired woman popped her head out the front door as the sound of someone yelling reached her ears. Her eyes scanned the area until they landed on George Weasley, standing in front of the shed, pointing to the entrance and laughing quite loudly.

"Mum," he said again, his voice almost shaking with the sound of his chortling. He motioned for the plump woman he was staring at to come out of the house and have a look. "He's going to burn his face off, and I've tried to tell him countless times to leave well alone!"

Mrs. Weasley scowled; her husband had always had a fascination with Muggle contraptions. "Arthur!" she yelled over to her husband, who looked up at the sound of his wife's angry tone. His face was covered in what looked to be old bits of toast from the toaster itself. "Arthur Weasley! I told you to stop messing with that thing and to come inside ten minutes ago! If we're going to put together a decent party for Percy and Penny's engagement, I am going to need YOUR help!"

George glanced over as the crowd around them was becoming bigger. Ron and Hermione had come around from the back to see what the commotion was about, and Ginny had left her station in the kitchen.

"Mum's going to kill Dad," George said to the lot, grinning broadly. "He's messing with the toaster again."

The three newcomers groaned.

Mr. Weasley tried desperately, arguing that he would be hindering the progress of the party preparations if he stayed inside the house; it was no secret that the Burrow was a tiny place to live in, let alone to plan an engagement celebration. However, Mrs. Weasley would not hear of it at all. She took him by the arm and dragged her husband inside, talking the whole way as to what his assignment for the afternoon would be.

The rest that were left outside laughed.

"I'm sure glad Mum wasn't like that when we were younger," Ron admitted as he leaned against the porch railing. "She would've been a bloody nightmare to deal with."

He motioned for Hermione to come to where he was, and she leaned on his chest lightly, smiling. "I'm sure that you would've been quite alright, Ron," she said and rolled her eyes.

Silence took over the four of them as they each thought about what was currently going on. Percy had finally proposed to Penelope Clearwater, and their wedding was to be within the next couple of weeks. Ron and Hermione's wedding had just occurred last month, while George had tied the knot with Alicia Spinnet last year. It seemed as though all of the Weasleys were celebrating the downfall of Lord Voldemort with just the thing that had defeated him: Love.

All, of course, except Ginny.

The youngest Weasley girl sighed as she remembered the fact that she had no one.

"Ginny, dear?" Mrs. Weasley had stuck her head out once more and smiled sweetly at her daughter. "Would you be a dear and come help me in the kitchen? Merlin knows I've taken too much on my plate and have not enough hands to finish the jobs!"

With one last glance at her brothers and sister-in-law, Ginny followed her mother inside the Burrow. She entered the scorching heats of the kitchen, where some dishes were cooking, some were flying around to find a place to cool off, and some were hopping along the counters with no destination in sight.

Ginny heaved a sigh of defeat and tied her long red hair up into a high pony tail. "What do you need me to do?" she asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh, just have a look around, Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley said, her voice only a few octaves from hysterical. "There's too much to do and only so much time! The guests will be here later this afternoon and I still haven't finished preparing the first course! And your _father_--"

"I'll just have a go at the dishes," Ginny mumbled, wondering if there was ever going to be an end to the mass hysteria that was looming over the Burrow. She walked over to the sink where a few of the dirty dishes were trying to escape through the dusty window. With one swift movement, Ginny pulled out her wand and flicked it at the plates and bowls, causing them to fall over stiff.

She grinned. It was always fun to do magic around the house, even for just the miniscule chores. Ginny still felt as though at any moment, she was going to turn around and see a letter from the Ministry flying through the door to say that she'd been expelled from school.

It had been quite a while since Ginny had thought about Hogwarts and her last year there. Things had definetely changed.

She flicked her wrist at a spoon running around on the floor, and missed. "Get back here," Ginny growled as she turned around and pointed her wand again, sending a pink spark out toward the--

The pink light extinguished as Ginny's eyes landed on the retreating back of a boy walking past the kitchen. She'd no need of a brain to know exactly who it was, too. Her wand held limply at her side, Ginny watched him until he'd moved out of her sight.

"Oh! Ginny," Mrs. Weasley interrupted the moment. Her eyes flickered from her daughter to the door way. She smiled slightly. "Why don't you go see if, ah, Harry needs anything?"

Ginny frowned and turned her eyes onto her mother. She knew exactly what she was up to. "Mum, you said you needed--"

"That's quite alright, dear," Mrs. Weasley continued. "Go on now, I don't think I'll die if you leave for ten minutes."

Knowing that she'd been dismissed, Ginny pocketed her wand in the pocket of her sundress and headed outside. The heat was sweltering; she could already feel droplets of sweat formulating on her brow.

And there he was.

He was walking toward the tree on the other side of the hill, Ginny could tell by the way he was walking. It was almost... determined. She had to jog slightly to catch up with him.

"Fancy seeing you here," she said and slowed her pace.

Harry turned around, apparently quite startled at the fact that Ginny had followed him out. "Aren't you supposed to be helping your mum with the food or something?" he asked, a faint smile emitting from his lips.

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "Ah, I suppose she can handle it. She's a big girl." She made sure to leave out the part about her mother sending her to check up on him. "How've you been?"

They continued to walk, though the speed was considerably slower. Harry shoved one hand in his pocket, and his other lay at his side. He kicked a rock with his already beaten up shoes as he stared at the ground for a moment. "I've been alright. Bored," he added jokingly. "What about you?"

"I've been well," Ginny said conversationally. "George recruited me to help out at the shop. He says he needs the extra help, but I'm sure he's trying to help me since I haven't really figured out what I want to do yet."

She pursed her lips at the ending of this sentence. Her parents were worried about her; her entire family was worried. Ginny had been out of school for a while and still hadn't chosen a profession to pursue. Hermione had offered to let her help out at her job at the Ministry--something about Muggle law enforcement--but she'd told her no. It just didn't suit her.

"Enough about me," Ginny said and smiled. "What have you been up to lately?"

The two had come upon the tree that Ginny had known was coming for quite some time. Harry seemed to be more relaxed there... perhaps he was able to think more clearly away from the Burrow and away from the noise. She watched Harry as he leaned against the tree and looked up at her.

"I've been helping out at the Ministry with Ron," he responded. "Mostly Auror business. We've been training a lot of new recruits."

"Ah, I see. That's been going well then?"

"Yeah," Harry responded.

They were silent for a moment, and Ginny felt the awkwardness of the situation sink in fully. There she was, talking with the one boy she'd never been able to get over, about what they were doing with their lives.

He'd defeated Voldemort; she'd moved back in with her parents. He'd helped revolutionize the Auror offices at the Ministry; she'd figured out how to make the books in the living area of the Burrow dance around when "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love" played on the radio.

Ginny glanced up at Harry through her thick eyelashes. She was slightly surprised that he was staring back, his vivid green eyes looking her over.

"You look great."

She felt the heat rising in her cheeks, though she looked up at him and smiled brightly. She'd blame it on the sunlight boring down upon them. "Thanks," Ginny said to him. "You're not looking so bad yourself."

Harry mostly looked the same from when Ginny had known him best, only now he was older. His deep emerald eyes sparkled with a wisdom that was far beyond his years. His hair was, of course, just the way she liked it--messy and slightly touching his ears.

Even his body had changed somewhat, from the lanky, tall build to a slightly more broad physique.

Ginny wasn't sure of what to ask then, besides the obvious question looming in the back of her mind. "Are you seeing anyone?" She tried not to show surprise at her own question, but it was rather difficult. _Did I just ask him that?_ she immediately thought to herself.

Harry laughed at her question. "Me? See someone?" he said, still grinning. "Ah, no. I found that part of life to be a little complicated."

Relief flooded over Ginny, though she didn't want to admit why. "Oh, yeah," she started. "I know what you mean." She said, clearly, before thinking, but she had played it off like she hadn't been speaking about anyone in particular. It amazed her how much Harry's mere presence could make her blurt out even her most private thoughts.

"Anyways," Harry continued, "I think I'm getting enough of my daily dose of romance just by being in the same room as Ron and Hermione these days." He let out a laugh, and Ginny found it to be a more natural one than she'd heard from him in a while.

"Not the same though is it?" she asked, unable to stop the verbal diarrhea. "I mean, it's just not the same, watching other people in their relationships. Watching Neville Longbottom and Linda Carper isn't the same as me and... well... just me with someone."

Ginny instantly regretted speaking. What was she doing? She was going to scare Harry off before she ever got to know him again.

"I think I get what you're saying," he started, and Ginny looked at him with disbelief etched in her face. Harry couldn't help but grin. "Yeah. It's not the same at all." He was silent for a moment. "D'you remember that day--in your fifth year, my sixth--when we sat under the tree near the lake and talked?" He blurted.

A sweet, gentle smile over took her freckle kissed face as she stared at Harry. "Yeah," a small laugh escaped her lips as she thought back to it. "That was a good day," she nodded. Merlin, Ginny hadn't thought about that day in years. Why was he asking her about it?

"Of course it was a good day," Harry responded, sounding a bit more comfortable. "I think we did more snogging than talking." He laughed.

"Well," Ginny said, stating the obvious, "I rather liked kissing you." She frowned a little. "... you know?" she added as if that was what she had meant for her statement to mean. "Besides, we did a lot of that everywhere!"

It was true. She and Harry, during their brief romance in her fifth year, had found many places to be alone together. She couldn't help but giggle at the memories.

"If I remember correctly," Harry started as he sat down and offered a bit of dirt for Ginny to sit down next to him, "we snogged in McGonagall's classroom, the dungeons, the Great Hall, the common room, my dormitory... anywhere else?"

Ginny sat down and flattened her dress so it was covering her legs. "We snogged in the Room of Requirement, in several classrooms, then once in the library, that time by the one eyed witch, and a few times in hidden various little hide aways... and that's not counting the grounds." She laughed.

She turned her face so she was looking out at the hills. "We kissed once in my room..."

That day must've been one of the worst in Ginny's life. She'd known that Harry was going to be leaving the Burrow soon to find a way to destroy Voldemort, and she remembered how she had wanted to hold him and really show him that she was there for him... she'd wanted to give him something to remember her by and to really fight for. Ginny cursed Ron still for interrupting them.

"I remember that," Harry said. "It was my birthday..."

Silence took hold of them. That day seemed so long ago. Ginny sighed, trying to find the right words to say next, but Harry beat her to it. "I remember we snogged multiple times in the Room of Requirement," he said.

Ginny laughed lightly. "Yeah, well, I liked how we could change it to our liking." She grinned at him. "Oh, and we mustn't forget when we snogged on the Quidditch pitch." She couldn't help but smile as another thought filtered through her memories. "Remember when we attempted to kiss while flying? Didn't work out, but it certainly was funny."

"I think your hair got caught on my cloak, Ginny," Harry responded. "It wasn't pretty, needless to say."

She continued to laugh as she thought about it. "Pretty or not, it was quite hilarious!"

"I think you called me... ah, what was it?" Harry quipped.

Ginny furrowed her eyebrows, thinking back. What had it been? She remembered calling Harry something really foul, but not really meaning it. "I honestly can't recall, Harry."

Harry sent her a look. "I thought you'd remember so I wouldn't have to say it. It was quite gruesome--"

"Oh, would you just get on with it?" Ginny giggled, crinkling her nose. Her chocolate coloured eyes were shining with amusement.

"Ah, fine," said Harry. "You called me the backside of a rabies infested babboon."

Ginny roared with laughter. Had she really called him that? "Sorry about that," she said in between breaths, "but when a girl's hair is pulled, it can't be helped. It really does hurt."

A sly grin spread across Harry's face. "You didn't complain at other times when your hair was being pulled."

Ginny looked shocked that he would bring that up, a slight blush kissed her cheeks. He remembered... "Yeah, well, you weren't _yanking_ my hair. It was more lovingly and playful than full on pain."

"You were always more playful than cuddly," Harry admitted, chuckling.

"I believe you liked that," Ginny retorted. "You always did like having a bit of a challenge."

Harry's laughing died away. "I still do."

Ginny stopped as well, her smile faded and the pink in her cheeks brightened, but she didn't say anything. Her deep brown eyes didn't once leave his as they sat there quietly.

"I'm sorry," he said kindly. "I wasn't thinking..."

Ginny still stared at him thinking, wondering if he'd meant... no, he couldn't have. "Don't apologise," she started. "Don't. I just wasn't expecting it is all."

Silence emitted between the two as laughter could be heard from the Burrow. Harry's green eyes made their way to Ginny's brown ones, and she listened to him sigh. "What happened with us?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ginny felt herself frown. "I don't know," she admitted, biting down on her lower lip before speaking again. "After the war, everyone was so torn up. Fred..." she felt the tears come but they didn't break. "After the funeral, I was helping George with the shop and we just lost touch I suppose. We both had suffered too many loses."

A tear trickled down her cheek as she thought of her lost brother and Tonks, her husband, Remus along with the countless others.

"It didn't have to be that way," Harry said after she was done.

Ginny smiled faintly. "I think we all just wanted to escape it. I still had another year of school and that was hard enough to deal with that, and I was helping with the store, and well... several losses." Another tear broke free, but she held the rest back as she though not only about the losses of loved ones, but the loss of the only love she had ever known.

She felt herself breaking down, and was quite surprised by Harry putting his arm around her shoulders and letting her lay on his chest. "I'm here now, Ginny," he said softly.

She silently cried as she pulled herself closer to him, her arms tightly around his waist and her eyes buried into his chest. For the first time in a long time, Ginny let go of all shields and truly showed how she felt.

After a moment she pulled away from his tear soaked shoulder, muttering apologies for losing her usually stable manner. "I don't think I'll ever be able to get over it," Ginny said. "I know when you're in a family you aren't supposed to pick favorites, but besides Charlie, Fred was always my second favorite--George a close third," she said, and laughed as if it were silly. "He was always the funnier of the two." She felt quite ridiculous saying all of this to, of all people, Harry—but for some reason she felt better letting it all out.

"Ginny," he began, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "I should've been there... I shouldn't have... I'm sorry."

"You had your losses, too," Ginny started, not wanting him to feel any kind of guilt. "It would have been silly for me to think less of you for not being there. I mean, I'm sorry... it's just you've lost ever thing and I'm so sorry that I've been selfish!" She hugged him tightly.

"Selfish?" started Harry. "Ginny Weasley, selfish? Those words don't go together. You've never been selfish," he said softly. "You've always been stronger than me."

Ginny looked up, still crying. What on earth was he going on about? "I'm sitting here going on about my bloody losses when you've lost every parent figure you've ever known and I've still got my family... nearly. And I'm sorry I wasn't there for YOU."

"You had every right to grieve the way you wanted to grieve," Harry said, looking back at her. "And yes, I've lost most everyone dear to me. It's been hard, but I'm... I think I'm at peace with it, finally," he said. "The only regret I have is not being there for you when I should've been."

Ginny stared at him for a moment more. He regretted them not being together? Was that what he meant? Before she thought anything else over, her words came pouring out. "I love you, Harry. I never told you and I wished for so long that I had told you. I've loved you forever and I will always love you, Harry. It's funny, I tried to see other people after being with you, but they were never right... they were never you and I can't wait any longer to tell you how much I really love you."

Harry paused. "Wh... what?"

Ginny laughed. "I love you. Harry, I love you and only you." She said it so easily now. It was liberating to finally tell him how she'd always felt.

He stared at her. "You love me?"

"No, I'm talking to that bloke behind you called Harry," she joked. "Yes, you dolt, I love you." She laughed--only to be cut off by Harry pressing his mouth against hers.

Her mouth melted when his mouth closed the gap between them and finally, after so long, they were kissing. Butter was far sturdier than she at the moment, and she felt herself kiss him back.

It was more than she ever could have hoped for. Never had she ever been kissed like that before, with so much passion--and yet, the tenderness could not be ignored. Yes, Ginny had been kissed before, and yes, she'd enjoyed it to a certain degree... but the gentle feel of his lips pressed onto hers was undeniably irresistible.

Her mind was completely blank to anything but him. She didn't even her George yell out from over at the Burrow, "Oi! Harry! That's my sister, you prat!"

The kiss was far too short for her liking, but Harry made up for it. He kissed her closed eyelids, her nose... and then found his way to her mouth again. Ah, sweet bliss. Ginny wrapped her willingly weak arms around his neck and felt herself melt all over again.

She pulled away after what seemed like forever, and felt her lips curve into a smile. Her Harry. Her sweet, sweet Harry.

"I guess it would be a good time to say I love you, too," he laughed.

Ginny laughed, biting down on her bottom lip once more before the next thought melted into her mind. "Oh, Merlin, Mum's going to have a cow over this!" she said shaking her head as she heard Mrs. Weasley asking George what he was on about.

And then her mother's eyes turned to where they were. "Oh! Ginny!" she called running toward them. "Harry! How lovely. Oh, oh, stand up, dears! Come on then."

Ginny blushed as she got to her feet clasping onto Harry's hand, not wanting to part completely from him. Her eyes were still swollen from crying, but she smiled brilliantly nonetheless. She led the way down to the Burrow where Ron and Hermione were standing outside, staring curiously at the three figures coming their way.

Ginny could feel everyone's eyes upon hers and Harry's hands clasped together tightly, making the shape of a mistaken heart mended.

Things were finally right.


End file.
